DuPont has had a long and esteemed history of scientific and engineering discovery. The global science company is synonymous with innovation and for over 200 years it has stood behind countless projects that have gone from concept to marketplace and enriched the lives of people around the world.
The company that originated as a gunpowder manufacturer in Delaware has now grown into a world leading service provider across 5 divisions of scientific specialism. One of its central pillars of scientific specialism is agriculture, nutrition and world hunger.
By looking at the DuPont website we can see that this is a company that cares deeply about proper food and nutrition. They use their website very effectively to express their interest and to note some of the food problems facing man.Their philosophy is clear: that people should have access to more than the bare minimum food supply but to a diet of nutritious food that supports healthy and active lives.
But having laid out their values and having identified a need to tackle world food DuPont have gone further. They have taken control of the issue and laid out how the problem should be tackled. The global science company believes that there is in fact a science to feeding the world and tackling world hunger.
So DuPont have combined their concern for proper nutrition with their scientific expertise and restless innovation to make tackling world hunger their goal.
To do so DuPont have commissioned the Global Food Security Index. They have explained what this is on a video available on their website. They present the premise of the initiative and explain how the index has been developed in collaboration with the Economist Intelligence Unit to measure the drivers of food security in 105 countries.
By measuring and tracking 3 core metrics (affordability, availability and nutritious quality of food) the index offers a global viewpoint on food security. And importantly, by having access to this food intelligence policy makers and leaders should be in a better position to identity structural weaknesses and so be able to address them in a more timely and effective manner.
So DuPont demonstrates it is a science company that goes beyond the simple profit motive. They are a company that has deep convictions and they make these clear to the wider industry and the world at large through their website. They showcase their values and through blogs, videos and interactive applications they have told a story about themselves and presented a cogent and compelling message.
They have taken control of one of the gravest issues facing man and have set out exactly how it should be tackled. By taking control of an issue so firmly and demonstrating how they are doing it on their website they are showing more than corporate social responsibility. They are showing an authority and a deep commitment to humanity; stewards leading their industry and prompting the direction in which other corporate entities should travel.
Lucy is Editor at Corporate Eye
